Full-fashioned-hosiery machine



Nov. 20, 1928.

W. D. RICHTER FULL FASHIONED HOSIERY MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 192'? lnueni'or:

, wlfigany D. Richter Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATET orrics.

WOLFGANG D. RICHTER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANEA, ASSIGNOR TO WILD- DIAN MFG. (30., OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORFORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

FULL-FASHIONED-HOSIEEY MACHINE.

Application filed February The invention is an improvement upon full fashioning hosiery knitting machines of the Cotton frame type and concerns particularly means for retarding the speed of movement of the yarn carrier as it approaches the end of its stroke in either direction so that the arresting of the yarn carrier or carriers may be accomplished withoutundue shock and without danger of said carrier or carriers rebounding and failing properly to'feed the needles on the next stroke.

In cases where'it has been the practice to arrest the yarn carrying means by allowing it to abut against a fixed stop at full speedthis has imposed a limitation upon the speed at which the reciprocations of the machine can be performed because of the shock ensuing upon the impact with the stop and because of the liability of the yarn guide carrier rebounding.

I have sought by my invention to provide a simple and efiective means for slowing down the movement of the yarn guide carrying means as it approaches the end of its stroke in either direction so that it finally may be arrested without undue shock or rebound under speeds above those usually employed.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

I show in a Figure 1 a plan view in the nature of a diagram of certain elements of the well known full fashioning Cotton frame necessary to an understanding of my improvement which also is illustrated 1n a diagrammatic way.

Fig. 2 illustrates a further applicatlon of the invention for use inconnection with the thread carrier which feeds the yarn for plating and heel tab narrowings.

Referring to Fig. 1 the numeral 1 indicates an ordinary slur-cock at one of the sections or heads of the Cotton frame which is mounted to reciprocate lengthwise of the machine on a guide rail 2. This slur-cock advances the sinkers to feed yarn to the needles. It, with other like slur-cocks at the other heads or sections of the machine is reciprocated along the guide rail by a bar 3 to which reciprocating movement lengthwise of the machine is given by the usual means. This bar 3 carrles 3, 1927 Serial No. 165,689.

a collar 4 fixed thereto which engages the block 4* which carries the slur-cock 1. The numeral 5 indicates a rod extending lengthwise of the machine and which is reciprocated simultaneously and coeXtensively with the slur-cock driving bar 3 as in ordinary practice.

This rod carries mounted thereon the substantially usual friction blocks, one of which is shown at 6, having such a connection with the rod 5 that it will partake of the reciproeating movement of said rod, except, when said block is arrested, the rod can continue its movement with the slur-cock bar for the completion of the stroke in eitherdirection. This connection therefore is of the usual friction character. This friction block is connected with a bar 7 which carries the yarn guides 7" one'for each head or section. This bar is arrested at the end of its stroke by coming in contact with one or the other of the stops 8 according to its direction ofmovement, and consequently the yarn guides will be arrested after they have supplied yarn to the rection its movement will be retarded preparatory to coming in contact with the stop 8, and hence undue shock and rebound will be avoided and higher speeds employed.

In the particular form of the invention which I have chosen to disclose, my improvement, a lever 9 is pivotally mounted about midway of its length at 10 on the friction driven block6. One arm of this lever has its end in line with stationary stops 11, 11 which are attached in any suitable way, as by pins or screws to a rod 12 fixed to the frame of the machine at 13. I

On the slur-cock operating bar 3 are mounted collars 14, 14", these beingpinned or otherwise fixed to said bar and these are in line with the end of the other arm of said lever 9.

The operation is as follows: Suppose the stroke of the machine is taking place in the diguides, contacts with reduced rection of the arrow and that the limit of said stroke nearly has been reached. At a sellicient prescribed interval before this limit is reached the lever 9 at one end will contact with the left hand stationary stop 11 and as the stroke continues, said lever will be turned about its pivot and the end of its other arm will be brought against the collar l, if it is not already in contact therewith.

The result of these contacts or engagements of the ends of the lever 9 with the stationary stop 11 and the moving collar le will be to retard the movement of the friction block relative to the speed of the leftward stroke of the rod 5, the friction connection allowing said block 6 to slip relatively to said rod, or in other words, allowing the rod 5 to continue to the end of its stroke full speed while the block continues only at reduced speed. This retardation of speed will persist until the end of the bar 7, carrying its yarn force against and is arrested by the stop 8. The bar 7 thus will be brought to rest without undue shock or rebound, and the yarn guides will be in position to properly feed the needles on the next stroke to the right.

On the stroke to the right, and near the end thereof, an action similar to that described above will take place in connection with the stationary stop 11 and the moving collar 14, it being understood tl the additional movement of the slur-cock bar in relation to that of the friction block at the completion of the leftward stroke described above has brought the collar 1% into position relative to the lever 5 to secure theaction similar to that described above when the right hand stroke is about to be completed.

It will be understood that while the machine has a plurality of heads or sections, say twenty-four, at each of which a fashioned stocking leg is knit, with a separate yarn guide for each, only one friction block, with one lever and one set of stationary stops 11, 11 and collars 14C, 1 are employed for this one set of thread guides because all. these yarn guide fingers for making the leg portion of the stockings at the various heads are mounted upon the one bar 7.

The excess movement of the slur-cock bar in respect to the length of stroke of the bar 7 which carries the yarn guide fingers is usual in machines of this type, and as above stated, the friction rod 5 moves in unison with the said slur-cock bar and as graphically indicating that these parts move together I have bracketed them as indicated in dotted line at w. r

The stops 8 are carried by screw threaded 'rods'or shafts 1 which are employed in full fashioning machines for setting these stops inwardly stepby step for narrowing the leg of the stocking whereby the arresting actions of the thread carrler rod 7 Wlll take place earlier step by step in the strokes of the machines in either direction to accord with the shortening of the courses of knitting for fashioning, due to the transfer of stitches as in ordinary practice.

he disclosure of the principles involved inmy invention as above set out has been made in connection with the thread guides which furnish the yarn for making the stocking leg. in this operation the narrowing actions take place at both edges of the fabric, and the adjustmentof the stops 8 as just described takes care of shortening of the stroke of the friction. block which controls all the thread guides which supply the leg fabric. The relative position of the stops 11, 11 is such that, though stationary, they will serve for giving the friction block its retardation at the end of its stroke over the range of variation in the length of this stroke. ,1

In the production of full fashioned fabric for hosiery, as is well known, additional thread carriers come into action to knit the heel tabs as the knitting ofthe fabric for the leg is nearly eon'ipleted. These heel tabs are narrowed on one edge only. For operating these additional thread carriers, additional friction driven members like the one (6) above described are employed, all, however, mounted on the same recipr eating rod 5. I have illustrated one of these friction members at 6*, Fig. 2. v

lit is connected with the bar 7* like the bar 7 previously described, but on which one set of the additional thread guides is carried.

In carrying out my invention, in connection with additional thread guides for making spliced heels, I employ the thread guide retarding means, the same as in 1, for each additional friction. If the splicing guides have to perform plating, this also is accomplished as described in connection with Fig. 1 for each additional friction.

For making the heel tabs, two conditions must be met. As is well known, one side of the heel tab is straight and the other side or edge is narrowed at the end portion thereof. 2. shows an arrangement for meeting these conditions. For the narrowed side or edge of the heel tab the retarding lever 9 of friction 6" will cooperate with a stationary stop 11, Fig. 2, on the stationary rod 12", the same as in Fig. 1. For the straight side or edge of the heel tab the retarding lever 9 of the friction 6 will cooperate with a stop '11" on a movable rod 12", which is connected to the adjustable nut or stop 8 operated by the screw rod 1. This automatically adjustable stop shifts the position of the friction 6 through the rod 7* each time a narrowing action takes place. h

. I have shown in Fig. 2 only one friction 6? with its associated retarding mechanism. For the other heel tab there would be another friction similar to 6 of Fig. 2, and with a pair of stops like 11 and 11 but with their positions reversed.

In both forms above described the lever 9 at one end comes against a stationary stop and at its other end it engages a moving stop so that the central part of the lever to which the friction is connected lags in respect to the moving stop and the bar 5 and hence its speed is retarded.

In the case where the fixed stop is adjustable as in 2 this stop is stationary at the time the lever contacts therewith.

In full fashioning hosiery machines there are siX or more frictions like 6 or 6 mounted on the same rod 5, for instance, one for the cotton top of the stocking, one for the main body silk thread, two for the plating thread (one at each side) and two for the heel tabs, and my invention may be carried out in connection with any or all of said frictions.

I claim:

1. In combination in full fashioning ho- .siery machines, a member for reciprocating the thread carrier, a reciprocating driving.

rod for said member with which said member has a friction connection topermit the member to be retarded and arrested before the stroke of the said rod is completed, and means retarding the speed of said member comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said member, a relatively stationary stop with which one end of said lever contacts, a reciprocatingslur cock and a stop reciprocating with the slur cock and contacted by the other end of said lever, substantially as described.

2,111 apparatus of the class described, a friction driven reciprocating member for reciprocating thread guide, and means for retrading the speed of said member as it approaches the end of its stroke comprising a lever pivoted intermediate of its length to said member, a relatively stationary stop against which one end of said lever contacts and a moving stop against which the other end of said lever contacts, substantially as described. I

3. In apparatus of the class described, a friction driven reciprocating member for reciprocating the thread guides, a carrier bar for said thread guides, a connection by which said bar is fixed to the said member to partake of the movement thereof, and to which said thread guides are connected, and means for retarding the speed of said member as it approaches the end of its stroke, comprising a lever pivoted thereto and independent of the connection between said carrier bar and the said member with means for stopping one end of said lever and for limiting the speed of movement of the other endof said lever so that the intermediate portion of said lever which connects with said friction member will lag in respect to the speed of the moving end of said lever to thereby retard the speed of movement of said member, substantially as described.

l. In combination in a full fashioning hosiery machine, a reciprocating friction driven member for operating the thread guides, a carrier bar for said thread guides, a connection by which said bar is fixed to the said member to partake of the movement thereof, and to which the thread guides are connected, a reciprocating rod for operating said member by frictional contact therewith, a lever pivoted to said member and independent of the connection between said carrier bar anc the friction member, a relatively stationary stop for arresting one end of said lever, means for controlling the speed of movement of the other end of said lever, and stops for arresting the movement of said member, said last mentioned stops being automatically adjustable to accord with the narrowings of the courses, substantially as described.

5. In combination in full fashioning hosiery machines, a thread carrier for feeding yarn for the formation of a heel tab, a friction driven member for reciprocating said thread guide, means for retarding the speed of said friction driven member comprising a lever pivoted intermediate of its length thereto, a moving stop for controlling one end of the lever and two stops for arresting the other end of the lever, one of said stops being adjustable step by step, and the other being fixed, a stop for arresting the thread guide and friction with means for adjusting said stop step by step, and a connection between the adjustable stops for adjusting the one first mentioned to accord with that last mentioned, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WOLFGANG n. RICHTER. 

